The positions of Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus and the Sun will cause mega-tremors on our planet, an earthquake ‘mystic’ has claimed. Each of the celestial bodies in our solar system are pulling on Earth through their gravity, causing tension to build in Earth’s tectonic plates, he claims. This could lead to a “major” earthquake in the coming days, with a warning set from March 15 to March 17.

The prediction was made by earthquake ‘forecasting’ website Ditrianum, run by researcher Frank Hoogerbeets, which said: “With several planetary alignments between the 13th and 15th, larger seismic activity may occur, especially from the 15th to the 17th.”

The Dutch researcher reached his conclusion using his Solar System Geometry Index (SSGI) which “is the computation of a dataset for a specific time-frame of values given to specific geometric positions of the planets, the Moon and the Sun”.

He said: “After three years of observations, it became clear that some planetary geometry in the Solar System clearly tends to cause a seismic increase, while other geometry does not.”

But experts have previously dismissed Mr Hoogerbeets’ claims, saying that there is no way earthquakes can be predicted.

John Bellini, a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey (USGS) has said: “We can’t predict or forecast earthquakes.

“Sometimes before a large earthquake you’ll have a foreshock or two, but we don’t know they’re foreshocks until the big one happens.”

However, there is some suggestion that Mr Hoogerbeets did correctly predict the powerful 7.3 magnitude quake which hit on March 1 in Peru.

He wrote on his website prior to the quake: “Specific lunar geometry today could cause some seismic increase in the next two days, possibly into the 6 magnitude range.”

Following the quake, which was actually stronger than Mr Hoogerbeets had predicted, he said: “A quake watch was in effect on February 28 and March 1 because of critical lunar geometry on February 27, as discussed.”

But it is likely to be a coincidence, as Peru is prone to earthquakes as the South American nation sits upon the dreaded Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire is the largest and most active fault line in the world, stretching from New Zealand, all around the east coast of Asia, over to Canada and the USA and all the way down to the southern tip of South America and causes more than 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes.

Experts know that the Ring of Fire has to potential to unleash some catastrophic quakes.